Preheat the oven to 325°F/162°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and use a silicone spatula to mix until combined. You will have a slightly crumbly mixture that holds together when squeezed between your fingers. If the dough feels too wet/sticky, add more flour.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cutting board, and the ball of dough on top. Then add another sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to evenly stretch the dough until ⅛ inch thick.
Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into a grid shape, making rectangular, or square cookies. (Or use cookie cutters of your choice.) Then use a fork to poke a few holes into each cookie, if you'd like.
Transfer the cookies to your lined baking sheet and arrange them in a single layer with a little space in between each one. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden, but do not overbake. These healthier shortbread cookies will feel soft fresh out of the oven and will harden once they cool to room temperature.
Notes
If the dough feels too sticky/wet, add a little more flour. If you weigh the flour using a kitchen scale, you shouldn't need to add more.If the dough feels too crumbly (it should be slightly crumbly) and not holding together, add another 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup. (Again, if you weigh the flour, this should not happen.)Stretch the dough as evenly as possible. If some areas are thinner or thicker, the cookies won't cook evenly.Do not overbake the cookies or they will have an unpleasant taste. Remove from the oven as soon as the edges appear lightly golden, approx. 10 minutes, depending on how thin or thick you rolled your dough.The cookies are baked at a lower temperature to prevent burning the edges. Don't be tempted to increase the heat!The cookies will be SOFT when freshly baked, so let them rest at room temperature for AT LEAST 15-20 minutes before handling them. Then, you may transfer them to a cooling rack to continue cooling, as they will harden once cooled.